Households were asked to rate their self-perceived level of difficulty in making ends meet, with the answer options being: ‘with great difficulty’; ‘with difficulty’; ‘with some difficulty’; ‘fairly easily’; ‘easily’; ‘very easily’.
Over two in five households (44.8%) said they had at least some difficulty in making ends meet in 2025, down slightly from 46.2% in 2024 and 47.8% in 2023. However, the percentage of households reporting great difficulty in making ends meet rose from 5.6% in 2024 to 6.3% in 2025. See figure 4.1 and table 4.1.
Analysis by household composition shows that in 2025, over four in five (84.2%) single-adult households with children under 18 years experienced at least some level of difficulty in making ends meet, this figure rose by over ten percentage points from 2024 (73.0%). In comparison three in ten (31.1%) households composed of two adults, with at least one aged 65 years and over experienced at least some level of difficulty in making ends meet in 2025. Furthermore, one in five (20.0%) of single-adult households with children under 18 reported having great difficulty in making ends meet, compared with 2.8% of households composed of two adults, with at least one aged 65 years. See figure 4.2 and table 4.2.
In 2025, 12.4% of rented or rent-free households had great difficulty in making ends meet, an increase from 10.7% in 2024. The percentage of owner-occupied households that experienced great difficulty in making ends meet in 2025 was 3.5%, relatively unchanged from the 2024 rate of 3.2%. Overall, more than three in five (61.9%) rented or rent-free households had at least some level of difficulty in making ends meet, compared with 36.7% of owner-occupied households. See figure 4.3 and table 4.3.
In 2025, of households experiencing enforced deprivation, 95.5% had at least some difficulty in making ends meet, with 32.4% having great difficulty. Less than four in ten (35.7%) households not experiencing enforced deprivation had at least some difficulty in making ends meet, with 1.7% having great difficulty. See figure 4.4 and table 4.4.
In the SILC survey households were asked if they were not to receive any income (such as wages, pension or social welfare payments), how long they would be able to maintain the same standard of living using savings. The answer options to this question were ‘less than three months’; 'three months or more but less than six months’; ‘six months or more but less than 12 months; ‘12 months or more’.
In 2025, under half of households (46.5%) could maintain the same standard of living for less than three months and 14.9% could maintain the same standard of living for 12 months or more. See figure 4.5 and table 4.5.
Analysis by household composition shows that four in five (79.9%) of single-adult households with children could maintain the same standard of living for less than three months if they were to lose their income sources. Overall households with children were less likely to have savings that could sustain the same standard of living in the event of losing income.
Two-adult households where at least one was aged 65 or over were most likely to have savings that could maintain the same standard of living with seven in ten (70.5%) of this group being able to sustain the same standard of living for three months or longer. See figure 4.6 and table 4.6.
Two in three (67.0%) rented or rent-free households and 36.9% of owner-occupied households could maintain the same standard of living for less than three months if they lost all income sources. One in five (18.9%) of owner-occupied households could maintain the same standard of living for at least one year. The comparable rate for rented households was 6.3%. See figure 4.7 and table 4.7.
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